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Original poster

Sometimes I long for the 70's and 80's when you just binned stuff you didn't want without a second thought about the environment.

159 replies

LimitIsUp · 09/12/2020 14:08

Ugh. Perhaps some of you can relate to this problem.

Lots of clutter - yes its in the spare room and in the garage and loft so its not in my face, but I still feel burdened by it

So much stuff

A lot of it is good quality bits and pieces that could be used by others and shouldn't be tipped, but we simply no longer need it or require it. I just don't feel able to send it to landfill (the guilt!)

I probably could, if so inclined, make money from selling it but we don't need the money and I don't need the hassle.

What I really want is it all gone - in a none time intensive and hassle free way - but I don't want it simple disposed of when its not broken or tat. I absolutely don't want to spend time on sorting it (so no ebay, no garage sales, no car boot sales and probably no charity shop trips either because of the volume of stuff) but hiring a skip . refuse tip wouldn't be good either

What do I do? Other than procrastinate

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 09/12/2020 16:16

Check your local tip. Nowadays they’re set up for ‘recycling’ so usually you can leave things in their reuse spot and they’ll get taken by someone rather than put in general refuse. They’re invested in keeping stuff out of landfill so it won’t be binned unless it really isn’t usable.

Rainallnight · 09/12/2020 16:18

I was thinking exactly this today. I’ve got old towels and quilts and stuff I need to get rid of and I feel a bit sick to think of them in landfill.

I’ve had quite a lot of success getting rid of stuff via a local Facebook group which has been good. And the Young Planet app is good for getting rid of baby stuff. Very user friendly.

NoSquirrels · 09/12/2020 16:20

@Rainallnight

I was thinking exactly this today. I’ve got old towels and quilts and stuff I need to get rid of and I feel a bit sick to think of them in landfill.

I’ve had quite a lot of success getting rid of stuff via a local Facebook group which has been good. And the Young Planet app is good for getting rid of baby stuff. Very user friendly.

Get in touch with your local animal rescue. They’re usually extremely happy for old towels and duvets.
CaptainMyCaptain · 09/12/2020 16:21

@Rainallnight

I was thinking exactly this today. I’ve got old towels and quilts and stuff I need to get rid of and I feel a bit sick to think of them in landfill.

I’ve had quite a lot of success getting rid of stuff via a local Facebook group which has been good. And the Young Planet app is good for getting rid of baby stuff. Very user friendly.

Rspca or other animal rescue groups use tatty old towels or bedding. I have given decent but unwanted bedding to charity shops or a group collecting for refugees.
CaptainMyCaptain · 09/12/2020 16:22

Snap!

ineedaholidaynow · 09/12/2020 16:28

@Elfieishere couldn't you have got house clearance people for the price of skips.

I am trying to sort out stuff that was in my parents loft together with stuff we have accumulated over the years. I am like the OP it feels wrong to just bin stuff but it is feeling overwhelming trying to sort it all out. I am very good at procrastinating but not at sorting out!

FinallyHere · 09/12/2020 16:32

There are quite a few people/groups around us to volunteer to collect specific kinds of things, for specific charities. Advertise a few days, arrange collection slot by private message.

They make money for the charity, stuff gets moved along, just brilliant win all round.

BertieBotts · 09/12/2020 16:32

What kind of stuff is it? If you have a vague idea, there might be a second hand shop in the area that might collect. Whether you ask for payment or just let them have it in exchange for clearing it out?

Not all old stuff is resellable - if there's no market for it then it can be thrown away.

FinallyHere · 09/12/2020 16:34

meant to say, after the experience of clearing first my MIL, then my mother's house of treasures from long ago, including the 'good' china which hardly ever got used, I'm found my self increasingly happy to let things go and hesitating over buying more.

ginghamstarfish · 09/12/2020 17:11

I'm old and I've never just binned stuff! I don't think it's to do with the era, it's how you were brought up etc. Some folks still bin perfectly good stuff, but more likely to sell on FB/ebay as it's easier now.

Allmyfavouritepeople · 09/12/2020 17:20

I say this as someone on a zero waste mission; if the alternative is that the stuff will just stay in you house until someone dies then bin it now. Some of your things are destined for landfill and are going to get there one day.

Do the best you can but dont cause yourself anguish over it. I'm big on zero waste but I have a dog, a car and eat meat and dairy. We don't need a few perfect eco people, we need millions of imperfect eco people.

CaptainMyCaptain · 09/12/2020 17:49

@Allmyfavouritepeople

I say this as someone on a zero waste mission; if the alternative is that the stuff will just stay in you house until someone dies then bin it now. Some of your things are destined for landfill and are going to get there one day.

Do the best you can but dont cause yourself anguish over it. I'm big on zero waste but I have a dog, a car and eat meat and dairy. We don't need a few perfect eco people, we need millions of imperfect eco people.

I won't argue with that.
woodhill · 09/12/2020 17:55

@Rainallnight

I was thinking exactly this today. I’ve got old towels and quilts and stuff I need to get rid of and I feel a bit sick to think of them in landfill.

I’ve had quite a lot of success getting rid of stuff via a local Facebook group which has been good. And the Young Planet app is good for getting rid of baby stuff. Very user friendly.

Give it to an animal sanctuary e.g. dogs trust
YouDidWHATNow · 09/12/2020 18:13

Our local British Heart Foundation charity advertised house clearances etc. I rang them and said I have a decent sized double bedroom of good quality stuff when I'd sorted the attic out and all the STUFF that just accumulates, they sent their van out and volunteers, they boxed and loaded it all up and off they went. It was brilliant

HardAsSnails · 09/12/2020 18:25

Lots are suggesting sorting and giving away on free sites etc but OP has said she doesn't want to do that (and having been in this position it becomes immensely stressful to even think about it, you just want to magic wand it all away), so house clearance, by someone who sells stuff on really is the most sensible option, even if it costs to have it taken it will be cheaper than a skip and what can be salvaged will be.

HardAsSnails · 09/12/2020 18:36

OP, if you do want to just get rid, Hippo claim to recycle 95% of what they collect so a Hippobag might work for you.

SleepingStandingUp · 09/12/2020 18:39

If you've got space and foot traffic could you put some stuff outside with a sign saying please help yourself? Happens round here bad seems to work. Tat man takes any rubbish metal / electronics

MargosKaftan · 09/12/2020 18:50

Bedding and towels, give to animal charities, or do throw. If you give them to charity shops to sell, unless they are in great (nearly new) condition, they'll be thrown. Bedding and towels are very cheap now, so charity shops have to sell them for very little to make people buy second hand rather than new. Then they take up a lot of space in charity shops, that could be filled with more profitable items like clothing.

If you won't use it, and noone else will use it, keeping it in your home is no more environmentally friendly than throwing it out.

BarbaraofSeville · 09/12/2020 19:00

You have to pay house clearance people who then sell your stuff. Pisstaker if you ask me

If its genuine junk you're getting rid of, they have to pay quite a lot to dispose of it.

When I was a child we used to take our newspapers, card, foil etc to a local woman who had all these containers in her garden. I can only assume that she sold it for money, a bit like a private enterprise version of the 'milk bottle tops for guide dogs' type appeal.

In our city all our non recyclable waste is incinerated in an energy production plant, there are no landfills any more.

If its junk that I'm trying to get rid of - we don't buy much and generally keep things for years until they are broken or worn out so not recyclable, I just try and let them go without guilt, because what else can you do? We recycle what we can, but some things are just, literally, rubbish.

StealthPolarBear · 09/12/2020 19:06

Op I can never get rid of stuff that is too good for the tip. I used to joke I couldn't sell an old textbook on ebay for 99p if I stuffed £20 notes between the pages.
Someone recommended local fb selling site. I managed to give away a piece of furniture I'd resigned myself to taking to the tip. Not only that I had loads of interst and people offering to buy it!
So I agree, give a couple of local teens a fiver and allow them to keep half of anything they sell, half to be donated to charity, on a local fb site.. Collection only.

StealthPolarBear · 09/12/2020 19:07

and yes old towels and bedding to dog charity

Hiccupiscal · 09/12/2020 19:08

Anyone who read my initial post, the bike with the broken pedal has gone.
Lady knocked the door to request it, never had someone knock the door before, but off it went. Broken pedal, chewed seat and all.

Tommorow will be putting boxes and bags of stuff outside and by the end of the day I expect the majority of it to be gone.

StealthPolarBear · 09/12/2020 19:08

And completely agree some stuff has to be binned for your own mental well being.

woodhill · 09/12/2020 19:08

We use old sheets for decorating etc and towels for pets. I like to reuse and mend where possible

DanceWithYourBalloon · 09/12/2020 20:37

@CaptainMyCaptain No, it was local business that I trust. Have been in his shop quite a lot. It's an Aladdins Cave of treasure (& crap 😂).